Key information
- ✓Write a summary only after you have stabilized the entire work.
- ✓Include the problem, goal, method, key result, and conclusion.
- ✓Do not use quotations, footnotes or general declarations.
- ✓Choose keywords from broad to specific.
Five elements of a good summary
The first sentences define the topic or problem, the next ones indicate the purpose and method, then the most important results appear, and the last part contains the main conclusion. The proportions depend on the nature of the work.
Do not list all subsections. The reader needs information about the result, not a description of the document's structure. In theoretical work, instead of a sample and a tool, indicate the scope of the analyzed materials.
Specific and economical language
Use full sentences, without footnotes, quotations or abbreviations that are incomprehensible outside the text. Limit "the topic is extremely important" introductions and replace them with information that shows what the problem is.
Name the result specifically. The phrase "interesting results were obtained" explains nothing. It is better to indicate the most important relationship, difference or category identified in the analysis.
How to choose keywords?
Start with the main concept, add the subject or group of study and relevant context. Avoid slogans that are so broad as "management" or so long that they become an entire sentence.
Check the terms used in the literature and scientific databases. Keywords must be relevant to the content because they help classify the material and find it for people interested in the topic.
English version without changing the meaning
First, refine the Polish version, and only then prepare the translation. Check the names of methods, tools and concepts in the English-language literature of a given discipline.
After translation, compare the sentences in pairs, paying attention to numbers, the direction of the relationship and the scope of the conclusion. Automatic translation requires terminological and linguistic correction.
Prepare the abstract from the final thesis version
Before writing the abstract, open the final introduction, methodology, results and conclusion. Select from each the information essential to understanding the project. An abstract based only on an old proposal may describe a study that was never conducted. Check the word or character limit, required languages and submission format in the university system. Do not assume every thesis uses the same abstract format.
Draft five answers: what the problem concerns, what the objective was, what approach was used, what was found and what follows from it. Then combine them into a concise text. Not every abstract needs explicit subheadings, but the information sequence should be clear. In a design thesis, the solution's scope and testing method may replace a conventional sample description. The abstract must reflect the work's actual nature.
Describe the method without excessive detail
Include information that allows readers to assess the material type and analytical approach. Naming software alone is insufficient. For a survey, the group, sample size and type of analysis may matter. For a technical design project, identify the outcome and evaluation criteria. Do not include every parameter that does not affect understanding of the main finding. Select details according to the abstract's purpose, not their order in the chapter.
Do not hide a material limitation behind vague wording. Identifying a selected group is more informative than implying that the whole population was studied. If the thesis is a review, name it according to the procedure used. Do not call an ordinary narrative review systematic without the appropriate methodology. A short text also requires precision because it is often read independently, without the explanations in the full document.
A result should convey substance, not an announcement
Saying that the thesis presents research results merely describes chapter contents. A stronger abstract identifies the main finding. Select a result directly related to the objective and present it within the boundaries supported by the data. If a number is needed, ensure it matches the final version and has an understandable context. Do not add a series of indicators whose meaning cannot be explained within the limit.
Educational example: instead of stating that a prototype was evaluated, identify which requirement was checked and which limitation the tests revealed. Do not invent a result to make the abstract attractive. If the analysis is exploratory, qualify the conclusion accordingly. A short abstract should retain the same strength of claims as the full thesis. It must not portray an observed correlation as a proven effect.
Translating the abstract and selecting keywords
Finalise the Polish version before translating it. Compare the two texts sentence by sentence: objective, method, sample sizes, findings and limitations must agree. An academic term does not always have the right equivalent in its most common dictionary sense. Check names of degrees, instruments and concepts in the context of the discipline and studies in Poland. Do not add new promises or extra findings to the other-language version.
Keywords should identify the central problem, main concepts and, where useful, the method or context. Avoid complete sentences and generic terms applicable to any thesis. Follow the university's specified number if there is one. Keep terminology consistent between the title, abstract and main text. When translating, check that the equivalents are used in the field's literature rather than translating every word independently.
Shortening without losing meaning
Remove repeated introductions, the story of how the thesis was written and comments about its structure unless required. Replace long-winded expressions with concrete verbs. Do not shorten by deleting information that limits a finding's scope. The difference between the studied group and all students may depend on a few words but is fundamental. After shortening, read the abstract without looking at the rest of the document.
Ask another person to identify the objective, method and result using the abstract alone. If they cannot, improve the structure instead of adding decorative sentences. Check explanations of unfamiliar abbreviations, numerical notation and tense consistency. Finally, verify the limit using the university's required tool, since character counts may include spaces. Keep the same version in the thesis file and the form submitted to the system.
Summary
The best abstract can be read independently of the entire paper and still understand what was researched, how it was done, and what the result was. Each sentence should provide new information, and the keywords should precisely name the topic and method. Prepare the final version after completing the work, when all data, conclusions and names have been determined.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an abstract and a synopsis?
In practice, universities sometimes use these names interchangeably, and sometimes require two different forms. Always check the volume and content guidelines.
How many words should a summary have?
There is no single value. Often approximately 150 to 300 words are required, or the volume indicated in the university's template.
How many keywords to choose?
Most often, three to six slogans are chosen. They should represent the subject, context, group and possibly the method used.
Can an abstract contain information absent from the thesis?
It should not. The abstract is a standalone summary of the completed project, not a place for new findings or arguments. If important information emerges only while writing it, consider whether the relevant thesis section needs updating and the text needs to be checked again for consistency.
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